News

Cognitive problems are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) but inadequately addressed by disease-modifying therapies, while cognitive rehabilitation and exercise training programs can be effective, a review study reported.  Research studies of exercise programs need to include larger groups of patients with demonstrated cognitive difficulties, however, and more pharmacological…

A person infected through the skin by the hookworm Necator americanus shows a spike in  regulatory T-cells, specialized immune T-cells that work to limit inflammation, and a controlled infection by these generally safe worms may benefit some relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, research suggests. “The…

Gilenya (fingolimod), which works to modulate immune system activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), may benefit people with severe respiratory disease associated with COVID-19, a case report highlights. The study, “Severe COVID-19 infection in a patient with multiple sclerosis treated with fingolimod,” was published in…

Atara Biotherapeutics has enrolled a first patient in a clinical trial testing ATA188, its off-the-shelf T-cell immunotherapy for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The Phase 1b trial (NCT03283826) follows promising safety and tolerability results from its open-label Phase 1a part, including a…

Nearly 3,000 multiple sclerosis (MS) healthcare providers and researchers  convened recently to share their findings regarding the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of MS. However, unlike past meetings, this year’s 34th Annual Meeting of the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC) took place online. Virtual presentations covered the…

Australian scientists have discovered subsets of immune cells that differ between people who have multiple sclerosis (MS) and those who don’t. Because the prevalence of these cells correlates with autoimmune attacks, they represent potential targets for MS therapies. The study, “IgG3 + B…

A likelihood of depression is two to three times higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.S. and U.K. than in similar groups of people in these countries without the disease, a study reported. This risk was also “most evident in the first five years after MS diagnosis” among…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are obese experience faster degeneration in optic nerve tissue than do those of normal weight, an observational study found. Since optic nerve degeneration correlates with greater nerve loss in the brain, measuring changes in this tissue may be a feasible way to determine…

Mapi Pharma, supported by an additional $20 million investment from its partner Mylan, will continue a Phase 3 trial assessing the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of GA Depot, its long-acting, once-a-month injectable formulation of glatiramer acetate. The study (NCT04121221), which opened in October 2019,…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $7.2 million grant to a team led by Cleveland Clinic researchers that will study whether a new biomarker might more accurately diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS). Grant money will support a study in 400 adults suspected of having MS to determine if the…

Five people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who tested positive for COVID-19 while being treated with Aubagio (teriflunomide)  all developed a mild infection, had good outcomes, and experienced no disease relapses, a case study reported. These findings suggest that use of Aubagio, a disease-modifying therapy that acts on the immune system,…

ERT, which specializes in clinical trial data collection, announced it has acquired APDM Wearable Technologies (APDM), a provider of wearables and digital biomarkers, to improve the accuracy of key efficacy measures used in clinical studies of multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, and other movement disorders. A…

An international committee of multiple sclerosis (MS) experts further clarified how guidelines, updated in 2013, should be used to classify this disease’s different states, and stressed the importance of measuring these states in a timely and consistent manner. The group’s statement, “The 2013 clinical course descriptors…

Autobahn Therapeutics announced its launch with $76 million in financing to support work on therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including ABX-002, its lead candidate to treat diseases marked by the loss of myelin, such as …

The risk of a relapse is two to three times higher in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients who switch from Tysabri (natalizumab) to an oral or other injectable…

A new research project will seek to understand the development of immune cells that drive autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The project will be led by Leszek Ignatowicz, PhD, a professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, and will be funded by…

After repeated exposure to a fragment of the myelin protein — the target of autoimmune attack in multiple sclerosis (MS) — immune cells in mice were reprogrammed to be tolerant to myelin, suppressing the immune response associated with the disease, a study revealed.  Researchers showed that in these…

Note: This story was updated on June 15, 2020, to clarify that the agreement allows for possible reimbursement for Prime’s health plan clients, not patients directly.  Prime Therapeutics has signed an agreement with EMD Serono that may provide financial compensation for its health plan clients if their members…

Molecules in the blood of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients promote a pro-inflammatory state and impair the metabolism and integrity of the blood-brain barrier, a study suggests. In MS, the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) — a highly selective and protective membrane — allows immune cells to reach the central nervous…

A new digital tool aims to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) deal with the emotional burden of their diagnosis, guiding them to focus on what matters most in their lives rather than the pain of living with MS. The self-help tool, named ACT MySelf, was developed by…

Andrographolide, an herbal compound with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, is able to slow brain atrophy and progression of disability in people with non-active progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS), according to results from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial. The study, “Efficacy of andrographolide in not active progressive…

ReWalk Robotics is preparing to implement agreements allowing it to distribute in the U.S. two new neuro-rehabilitation devices for people with motor disabilities, including those with multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury, and stroke. Under these agreements, the company will become the sole U.S. distributor of…

An inflammatory environment can turn astrocytes, key supportive cells for neurons, into their killers, fostering the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. This work, led by researchers at the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), created for a first time astrocytes derived…

Icometrix launched a new digital platform, icompanion, to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) track their disease and understand MRI scans. The platform, currently available in English, French, German, and Dutch,  consists of a phone app for patients and a web-based dashboard to help clinicians track patients and…

Tweaking the protective properties of the gut mucus, a layer lining the inside of the gut, to boost the proliferation of good bacteria potentially could halt the development of neurological disorders, like multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review of more than 100 studies. The review, “…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending its review of Novartis‘ ofatumumab, a possible self-administered injection therapy for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), the company announced. Originally expected in June, the FDA decision is now expected in September. “Novartis will continue to work with the FDA to…

Zeposia (ozanimod), a newly approved oral capsule treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), is now commercially available in the United States, its manufacturer, Bristol Myers Squibb, announced. “We are pleased to now bring Zeposia, an important new once daily treatment option, to [relapsing]…

Symptoms including sleep disorders and pain may precede by as many as five years the onset of the more well-known symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. Understanding these first symptoms could aid in an early diagnosis, allowing treatment to begin at initial stages of disease. The…

A clinical trial testing Midamor (amiloride), Prozac (fluoxetine), and riluzole in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) failed to find a treatment benefit for any of the…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved adding new safety data on pregnancy and breastfeeding to the U.S. label for Rebif (interferon beta-1a), a disease-modifying treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The label update draws on findings from a large population-based study, together with…